Narrative:

Air carrier, jun 1997, phx/slc, was normal up until arrival at gate xx in slc. As we made a left turn into the gate, I noticed a belt loader would be off our right side (normal) as we approached the gate. It caught my attention only because the belt was sticking up in the air at about a 45 degree angle. There was a wing walker near the belt loader with his hands up. There was also a wing walker on the left side of our aircraft with his hands up. We had the green light on (traffic lights for taxiing into the gate) and proceeded into the gate. Both wing walkers still had their hands up when we lost sight of them as we pulled straight into the gate. We were on the line up line and as we approached the stopping point we felt a slight thump. My only thought was we had run over the external power electrical cord. The green light was still on and I continued slowly. The light changed in normal time sequence to yellow and then to red as we came to a stop. About 30 seconds later, one of our flight attendants called on the interphone and informed us our right wingtip had hit the belt loader belt sticking up in the air. I could not get a hold of anyone on the ramp, so, as soon as the front door was opened, I went outside to investigate. The right wingtip did hit the belt loader and was damaged. No passenger, crew, or ramp personnel were injured. I called local maintenance, flight control, and the maintenance coordinator, and informed the gate personnel. I talked with the ground crew. The light operator and the left wing walker had no knowledge that the aircraft had even hit anything until after we had stopped and people started looking at the right wingtip. The right wing walker told me, 'it's my fault, I wasn't looking, I'm sorry.' slc maintenance grounded the aircraft and the flight was delayed, waiting on an equipment substitution. One other thing the left wing walker told me, 'it was his fault,' because he forgot to lower the belt back down after checking the engine (oil and water) on the belt loader.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD90 STRUCK A BELT LOADER WHILE BEING GUIDED INTO A GATE INCURRING DAMAGE TO THE R WINGTIP.

Narrative: ACR, JUN 1997, PHX/SLC, WAS NORMAL UP UNTIL ARR AT GATE XX IN SLC. AS WE MADE A L TURN INTO THE GATE, I NOTICED A BELT LOADER WOULD BE OFF OUR R SIDE (NORMAL) AS WE APCHED THE GATE. IT CAUGHT MY ATTN ONLY BECAUSE THE BELT WAS STICKING UP IN THE AIR AT ABOUT A 45 DEG ANGLE. THERE WAS A WING WALKER NEAR THE BELT LOADER WITH HIS HANDS UP. THERE WAS ALSO A WING WALKER ON THE L SIDE OF OUR ACFT WITH HIS HANDS UP. WE HAD THE GREEN LIGHT ON (TFC LIGHTS FOR TAXIING INTO THE GATE) AND PROCEEDED INTO THE GATE. BOTH WING WALKERS STILL HAD THEIR HANDS UP WHEN WE LOST SIGHT OF THEM AS WE PULLED STRAIGHT INTO THE GATE. WE WERE ON THE LINE UP LINE AND AS WE APCHED THE STOPPING POINT WE FELT A SLIGHT THUMP. MY ONLY THOUGHT WAS WE HAD RUN OVER THE EXTERNAL PWR ELECTRICAL CORD. THE GREEN LIGHT WAS STILL ON AND I CONTINUED SLOWLY. THE LIGHT CHANGED IN NORMAL TIME SEQUENCE TO YELLOW AND THEN TO RED AS WE CAME TO A STOP. ABOUT 30 SECONDS LATER, ONE OF OUR FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED ON THE INTERPHONE AND INFORMED US OUR R WINGTIP HAD HIT THE BELT LOADER BELT STICKING UP IN THE AIR. I COULD NOT GET A HOLD OF ANYONE ON THE RAMP, SO, AS SOON AS THE FRONT DOOR WAS OPENED, I WENT OUTSIDE TO INVESTIGATE. THE R WINGTIP DID HIT THE BELT LOADER AND WAS DAMAGED. NO PAX, CREW, OR RAMP PERSONNEL WERE INJURED. I CALLED LCL MAINT, FLT CTL, AND THE MAINT COORDINATOR, AND INFORMED THE GATE PERSONNEL. I TALKED WITH THE GND CREW. THE LIGHT OPERATOR AND THE L WING WALKER HAD NO KNOWLEDGE THAT THE ACFT HAD EVEN HIT ANYTHING UNTIL AFTER WE HAD STOPPED AND PEOPLE STARTED LOOKING AT THE R WINGTIP. THE R WING WALKER TOLD ME, 'IT'S MY FAULT, I WASN'T LOOKING, I'M SORRY.' SLC MAINT GROUNDED THE ACFT AND THE FLT WAS DELAYED, WAITING ON AN EQUIP SUBSTITUTION. ONE OTHER THING THE L WING WALKER TOLD ME, 'IT WAS HIS FAULT,' BECAUSE HE FORGOT TO LOWER THE BELT BACK DOWN AFTER CHKING THE ENG (OIL AND WATER) ON THE BELT LOADER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.